Senior Art Director (Social)

Who we are looking for:

VML is seeking a concept-driven, tech-obsessed, socially savvy Senior Art Director to shape and deliver organic social content for a high-profile tech client in our Portland office.

As the Senior Art Director focused on social media, you will help shape the creative vision and deliver content for our client's owned channels, bringing bold visual thinking, strong design sensibility, and a sharp eye for how culture shows up on pocket-sized screens.

Equal parts idea-led and executional, you bring fresh visual perspectives, fluency in social-first formats, and an instinct for what stops the scroll. You demonstrate solid content creation skills in your portfolio or personal feed with shooting, editing, and design chops.

In addition to partnering closely with a Senior Copywriter as a true creative duo, you'll take direction from creative leads, articulate visual direction for editors and animators, collaborate with strategy and account, and engage directly with clients to present work that's on brand, on trend, and on time.

What you'll do:

• Concept and Create | Ideate on and execute bold, engaging social content for Instagram, Facebook, X, and Threads based on strategic briefs to drive conversation and cultural relevance for clients.
• Craft | Stay informed about industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in social media and digital marketing.
• Client facing | Regularly connect with clients to create a partnership that builds trust in our thought leadership and ideas. Present your creative work and articulate the bigger ideas or concepts behind it.
• Collaborate | Work with creative leads, copywriters, strategists, producers, and social managers to bring ideas to life.
• Cultivate | Stay ahead of platform shifts, language trends, and creative best practices in the social landscape.

What you'll need:

• Minimum 5 years' experience in an agency setting with a focus on tech brands and social media.
• A portfolio that demonstrates strong conceptual thinking, elevated visual craft, and versatility across social platforms and formats.
• Deep understanding of how brands show up natively on social media—and how to shape a distinct, ownable visual presence.
• Strong visual instincts, attention to detail, and appreciation for the craft of art direction and design for social.
• A social-first mindset with an instinct for relatable, insight-driven hooks, from static to motion to creator-style content.
• Experience working with creator/influencer content, UGC, and social-native organic content.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and collaborate as part of a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary team.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with comfort articulating visual ideas to internal teams and collaborative clients.
• Patience and openness when addressing feedback from creatives, strategists, account leads, and client-side stakeholders throughout the content development process.
• Passion for internet/tech culture, design, branding, and how they intersect in the social space.
• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign); Figma, After Effects, and motion tools are a strong plus.

What we offer:

• Passionate, driven people | We champion a culture of people that do extraordinary work.
• Consciously cultivated culture | We aim to embody the behaviors to build an inclusive community that is in it together, bringing both positivity and active listening into the workplace as we simultaneously strive to empower creative bravery.
• Competitive benefits | What we offer full time hires ranges from the full spectrum of group health coverage options (medical, dental, vision) to a generous 401k match (100% dollar-for-dollar match, up to 5% of salary contribution), and a variety of paid time off offerings that reflect our investment in all aspects of your overall life balance and wellness.
• Growth-minded opportunities | We aim to nurture a culture of real-time feedback, growth-oriented mindset, and plenty of training opportunities through VML and WPP, so you can continue to grow personally and professionally.